diff --git a/pkgs/tools/text/silver-searcher/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/text/silver-searcher/default.nix
index 757c65eed848..53146ddd0610 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/text/silver-searcher/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/text/silver-searcher/default.nix
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   patches = [ ./bash-completion.patch ];
 
+  # Workaround build failure on -fno-common toolchains like upstream
+  # gcc-10. Otherwise build fails as:
+  #   ld: src/zfile.o:/build/source/src/log.h:12: multiple definition of
+  #     `print_mtx'; src/ignore.o:/build/source/src/log.h:12: first defined here
+  # TODO: remove once next release has https://github.com/ggreer/the_silver_searcher/pull/1377
+  NIX_CFLAGS_COMPILE = "-fcommon";
   NIX_LDFLAGS = lib.optionalString stdenv.isLinux "-lgcc_s";
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [ autoreconfHook pkg-config ];